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Monday, 11 February 2013

“Its about the Indian gypsies,” said Jean Paul Gaultier,
“the real ones from Rajasthan.” The designer’s feverish imagination was
fired by the memorable vision of an Indian bride being transported to
her wedding on an elephant. But it wasn’t just her nuptial finery that
inspired him it was the music that accompanied her, which he recognized
as classic gitane sounds but were in fact traditional Rajasthani ones.
Gaultier soon discovered, of course, that most gypsy travelers had their
origins in this part of the world, and so he set out to capture their
spirit in his joyous collection.

When he first opened his
couture house in 1997, Gaultier hired two seamstresses from the atelier
of the legendary Madame Grès. In turn, they taught a new generation the
skills of Alix drapery that Gaultier regularly uses in such inventive
ways. He opened his show with that painstaking technique used for
languid evening gowns in two tones of broad stripes, and later in
elaborate brassiere tops (a play on his signature conical falsies bra
from the eighties) used to suspend skimpy jersey dresses.

The
Rajasthan element registered in the tops inspired by regional men’s
dress, with a great fullness of fabric gathered from the yoke, worn with
gently flowing pants, as well as in subtle touches like a print that
looked like a traditional French toile de Jouy but that represented
Indian gods and fauna. He used patchworks of Swarovski crystal
panels, Indian brocades, and even a trove of turn-of-the-century beaded
purses for full tiered tzigane skirts. And for the sophisticated world
traveler he reinvented the backpack lavishly embroidered in jet beads or
hand crocheted in boudoir-pink mesh.

Gaultier’s wonderful,
singing palette ran the gamut from spice tones of saffron, turmeric,
cardamon, and paprika to the brilliant colors of the sari markets.

To
the strains of “La Vie En Rose” sung in Hindi, the bride appeared in a
vast patchwork crinoline. She raised her skirts, and a quartet of
adorable little South Asian girls ran out giggling down the runway in
dresses in the dazzling hues of the pigments thrown during the Holi
festival hot pink, parrot green, and midnight blue.